Saturday: Maldonado and Williams victims of traffic
Pastor Maldonado was a victim of traffic in Q1, which he believes cost him his place in Q2. Valtteri Bottas also had to deal with traffic in Q2, which prevented him from getting his tires up to temperature before starting his fast lap. But both Williams drivers remain confident for the race and are determined to climb back up the ranks.
Valtteri Bottas – 16th and 15th:
« It was very close today. In Q1, we managed to get the most out of the car and the balance seemed good. In Q2, we compromised our last run because there were a lot of cars in the out lap and the tire temperatures were a bit too low at the start of my fast lap, which cost me some time. We could have gone faster, but that being said, the cars ahead of us have a better race pace, so this qualifying result is a fair reflection of where we are this weekend. We will work hard tonight to further improve the setup to be able to fight for a better position in the race. »
Pastor Maldonado – 12th and 18th:
I had traffic twice on my first stint in Q1 with the soft tires, once in the first corner and again in turn 10, which compromised my qualifying because you really only have one chance to get a clear lap with the softs due to their high wear. I usually manage to gain positions during the race and the car is more competitive on longer stints, so I’m confident we can make our way back up tomorrow.
